If you’re a student struggling with rising costs, the program might just be the best news of the year. Hundreds of Americans, specifically students, are set to receive $1,000 monthly checks for an entire year, no questions asked. Designed to bridge the gap between financial aid, wages, and the ever-increasing cost of living, BOOST is stepping in big time.
BOOST, which stands for Building Outstanding Opportunities for Students to Thrive, is one of the largest guaranteed income efforts currently running in the U.S., and it’s specifically focused on young people in education. The program, currently being run across four colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), is aiming to ease student financial stress while also collecting valuable data to study the effects of guaranteed income.
Quick BOOST Program Snapshot
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Monthly Payment | $1,000 |
| Duration | 12 months (Nov 2024 – Oct 2025) |
| Total Recipients | 251 students (Treatment Group) |
| Total Distributed | $3 million |
| Participating Colleges | East LA College, LA City College, LA Trade-Tech, LA Southwest College |
| No Requirements | No work needed, no spending rules |
| Research Component | Randomized Control Trial via University of Pennsylvania |
| Funders | Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation, Young Adults Forward Fund |
The four participating LACCD colleges are East LA College, LA City College, LA Trade-Technical College, and LA Southwest College. A total of 251 students are already in the BOOST cohort, with a collective $3 million in funding being distributed. Each of these students gets $1,000 in monthly payments for 12 months, with zero restrictions on how the money is used and no work requirements attached. That’s right, students can use the cash however they want, whether that’s for rent, groceries, gas, or mental health support.
What makes BOOST unique isn’t just the cash, it’s how the program is being run. It’s the first guaranteed income program in the U.S. to use a randomized control trial (RCT), a method usually used in scientific and medical research. Basically, students are split into two groups: a treatment group and a control group. Those randomly selected for the treatment group began receiving $1,000 monthly payments starting November 2024, continuing through October 2025.
Meanwhile, the control group doesn’t get the monthly checks. Instead, they’re invited to take part in paid research activities like surveys and interviews. At least 200 students are in the treatment group and 350 in the control group, all chosen at random to help ensure unbiased results. This structure lets researchers track the impact of guaranteed income in a controlled, measurable way. The program is led in part by the University of Pennsylvania, which is conducting the RCT.
BOOST isn’t a government handout in the traditional sense. It’s mostly privately funded by organizations like The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the Young Adults Forward Fund. That makes it different from federal stimulus checks or traditional welfare, which usually come with strict eligibility rules and reporting requirements.
Guaranteed income programs like BOOST have been gaining traction across the U.S., especially after the 2021 American Rescue Plan, which gave local governments more flexibility to test new financial support models. These programs aim to provide consistent monthly payments to low-income residents without job requirements, drug testing, or other “strings.” The concept differs from Universal Basic Income (UBI), which is meant to go to everyone regardless of income.
Alaska has had a version of UBI for decades, distributing a small annual dividend from oil revenues to all state residents. But other states and cities have been more experimental. While many urban areas have praised GI programs for reducing poverty and improving overall well-being, conservative-led states like Texas and Iowa have moved to block similar initiatives, calling them financially irresponsible.
Critics argue programs like BOOST could create dependency and cost too much to scale nationally. But supporters say the opposite: that unconditional income boosts dignity, gives people room to breathe financially, and often helps them stay in school or find better work without the fear of losing benefits. BOOST, in particular, is focused on students pursuing careers in clinical, allied, or behavioral health, a sector that desperately needs more professionals.
And with a full year of monthly checks and no strings attached, BOOST is offering more than money, it’s offering breathing room and a chance to thrive. While the future of guaranteed income remains up for debate nationwide, BOOST is already changing lives and reshaping how we think about financial aid and student success.
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